1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to safetymats of the type used for workers to stand on during industrial activities. More particularly, the invention relates to trim structures for fitting about the outer perimeters of such safetymats.
2. Description of the Related Art
Safetymats are commonly used in various industries for workers to stand on when performing job activities. Typically the safetymats are connected by electrical cables or wires to a control system which senses when the workers are standing or treading on the mats at their work stations. The control system can be programmed to process the control signals from the safetymats for different purposes. These include worker safety as well as quality control for the manufactured product.
Industries such as automobile manufacturing have used safetymats for quality control at different types of work stations. In certain cases each work station involves teams of workers organized into separate work cells. The teams of the different work cells are required to move to and from their assigned stations around an assembly area or other manufacturing activity. A plurality of safetymats are provided for the workers in the cells to stand on when at their stations. One way the control system maintains quality control is by analyzing control signals from the safetymats to ensure that each team of workers are at their proper stations at the correct time during the assembly or other manufacturing operation. For example, a safetymat would be used in front of a parts supply bin so that the control system could monitor whether a worker has stepped on the mat to obtain the correct part during a particular phase of the assembly procedure.
The prior art safetymats have typically been installed by first laying the mat on the floor and then routing the control cables or wires along a perimeter edge of the mat and then to the control system. At each perimeter edge a strip of single-piece trim would then be placed along the perimeter of the mat, holding the control cables or wires in place. Holes would then be drilled through the trim with fastener screws then used to secure the trim, and thereby the mat, to the floor. A tape of the desired coded color, such as yellow, would then be adhered to the top surfaces of the trim.
One disadvantage in the prior art safetymats is where the mat fails, such as breakage of a part or short circuit in the wiring, and therefore must be replaced. Safetymat replacement is a time consuming, and therefore costly, procedure in that it involves removing the trim and defective mat, placing a new mat down, fitting a one-piece trim along each edge and then routing the control cable or wire around the trim.
The need has therefore been recognized for a safetymat trim structure which obviates the foregoing and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art safetymats. Despite the various safetymats in the prior art, there has heretofore not been provided a suitable and attractive solution to these problems.